The views expressed in this Opinion article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
It's officially December which means that it's time to pick up delicious advent calendars from Canada's grocery stores to enjoy as we countdown to Christmas.
We might be a few days into the month, but that doesn't mean it's too late to treat yourself to one of the fun calendars filled with treats — it just means you get to have a few extra treats right away!
To see which 2023 advent calendars are worth picking up, I recently went to Walmart and Loblaws to see what I could find and ended up buying the Lindt Teddy Assorted Milk Chocolate Advent Calendar, the Ferrero Collection Advent Calendar, the Kinder Advent Calendar, the Lindt Lindor Advent Calendar and the Resse's Advent Calendar.
Here's what I thought of each of them — and if I'd buy them again as a present for someone.
Warning: spoilers about what's in the calendars are below! And just a reminder — always check the ingredients for allergies as some of these items had hazelnuts, which I didn't expect them to.
Ferrero Collection Advent Calendar
Ferrero Rocher Advent Calendar that cost $24.99.
The Ferrero Rocher Advent Calendar was the most expensive calendar I picked up and it certainly looked the most luxe as it opens up like a book to reveal the daily spots to retrieve your goodies from, but this one was my least favourite.
In this package, there is "a selection of three delicious temptations, smooth dark Rondnoir, coconut covered Raffaello and the uniquely delicious Ferrero Rocher."
I'm familiar with the classic Ferrero Rocher treat in the gold foil and was excited to get to try them as my boyfriend is allergic to hazelnut so we don't usually have this kind of product in the house, and while I enjoyed that specific treat, I didn't like the Raffaello and thought the Rondnoir was just okay.
To be fair, I don't really like coconut so the Raffaello was likely going to be a miss for me no matter what, but I do love dark chocolate, so the Rondnoir was a bit of a letdown.
I guess I just expected the flavours to be as luxurious as the OG Ferrero given it's cost!
Price: $24.99
Kinder Advent Calendar
Kinder Advent Calendar for $16.99.
The Kinder Advent Calendar is super fun and I'd definitely gift it to a friend with kids. It has a few different types of treats in it, which is a good way to mix it up for little ones who might lose interest in getting the same chocolate every day.
There were Kinder Mini Eggs, Kinder Schokobons, Kinder Santa and one traditional Kinder Surprise with a fun toy to assemble inside of it (mine was a cute little motorbike).
I will say that getting the chocolates out of this calendar was a tad difficult, so this might not be a great option for those who have limited dexterity.
Price: $16.99
Lindt Lindor Advent Calendar
Lindt Lindor Advent Calendar for 12.99.
Lindt Lindor treats for Christmas feels like a must, and while I did enjoy this calendar, there's actually another Lindt advent calendar I preferred over this one.
In this calendar, you'll get full-sized and mini Lindor treats in milk, dark and white chocolate, all of which are delicious and familiar.
I'd say this is a good gift for the person who you have no idea what to do with — it's classic, easy and sure to please.
Price: $12.99
Resse's Advent Calendar
Resse's Advent Calendar for $9.98.
I went into this comparison piece knowing I love Reese's but there was actually a little extra something in this advent calendar that won me over.
When you open the window for each day, there's a cute message written on the inside, like "We're so close we can taste it!"
It's just a tiny detail, but it was unexpected and it made me smile, which is all you can really ask for these days!
The treats themselves are all mini peanut butter cups other than one larger candy, so you better be sure you're giving this to a chocolate peanut butter lover.
Price: $9.98
Lindt Teddy Assorted Milk Chocolate Advent Calendar
Lindt Teddy Collection for $12.99.
And lastly, my favourite 2023 advent calendar of all the ones I opened this year was the Lindt Teddy Assorted Milk Chocolate Advent Calendar.
Given the cute teddy bears on the front, this is likely meant for children, but this is a great option for any age.
This calendar had the most diverse chocolates in it with the little Lindor balls, individual chocolate squares and teddy bears (how cute is the little bear with the blue hat getting ready for bed?).
I love the assortment and the novelty of this advent calendar, and it's the one I'll be gifting to my mom and sister ahead of December 1!
Price: $12.99
There are tons of advent calendars available in Canada's grocery stores, and no matter which one you pick, it's likely to be fun and delicious, so really, there aren't any bad options.
While you're picking up your calendars, you might want to grab some chocolate for yourself, and I recently tested store brand milk and dark chocolate bars from Irresistibles, Great Value, no name, President's Choice and Compliments to find out which is best.
If you're on the hunt for other advent calendars, there are all kinds of options out there for different niches.
If you have a gourmand in your life, there are actually advent calendars based around different food interests. Some of the other options out there include advent calendars for beauty lovers, calendars designed for couples, calendars for men or for that person you have no idea what to gift this year — there's always something, and if all else fails, get them the Lindt Lindor Advent Calendar
Happy holidays, folks, and may the countdown to Christmas be delicious and thrilling!
These prices are confirmed at the time of publishing, but they can change at any time. Taxes and fees may not be included.
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